Batla's Blog

Brown Play School Run to Mama 5k Preview - May 5th, 2013

I am organizing my first 5k race! It's turned out to be a second job; but I'm really having lots of fun planning it.

 

The race I'm organizing is the fourth annual Brown Play School Run to Mama 5k & Kids' Fun Run. The race is on Sunday, May 5th 2013 at 9am and starts/ends at Rumford Center in Rumford, RI. Walkers and participants with strollers are welcome. This year a portion of the proceeds will benefit Hasbro Childrens Hospital.

 

What's this about a kids' fun run? Young'ins will have a chance to stretch their legs around 10am and get ribbons/medals for their effort. For recovery, the kids will have a chance to enjoy the "original recovery drink" - chocolate milk, provided by Munroe Dairy. Don't worry grown-ups, you can have some too.

 

Visit the Brown Play School website today for information about Brown Play School, the race and the race's sponsors or go directly to the registration page to sign up now! Only seven days left before the price goes up! (as of posting date, 25 March 2013).

 

Now, on to the preview:

Where's the Race?

The race starts at historic Rumford Center  - where baking soda was invented. The pre-registration and post race activities will take place in the rear parking lot in the area occupied by the local farmer's market during the summer. That's where we'll have tents, tables, snacks and activities for kids. Under the tents, sponsors will have the opportunity to offer insights into their products and services, and in some cases, provide samples (e.g. active release therapy, massage, etc.). The race itself starts on Greenwood Avenue.

The Course

You will wind through beautiful Rumford in a counter-clockwise loop. You'll start at one end of Rumford Center (see green starting icon on map) and head Northwest on Greenwood. At the end of Greenwood, you'll turn left on Hoyt and run by one of the oldest golf courses in New England, Wannamoisset CC. At the end of Hoyt, you'll turn right and go down fast-paced Bourne Avenue, to historic Roger Williams Avenue (yes, where Roger Williams first settled). You will have traveled about a mile just after you turn the corner onto RW. From there the course crosses over Broadway and continues on Centre Street to Pawtucket Avenue. By the time you reach Pawtucket, you will traveled 2.3 miles - mostly downhill! Enjoy that briefly as Pawtucket Avenue will challenge your legs and your lungs on your way to the crest just before rejoining Greenwood Avenue. Greenwood initially offers a brief reprieve, so take advantage of it to gather momentum for the final quarter mile to the finish!

 

A water station will be positioned around mile 2 on Centre Street. We plan to have one water station; unless unseasonably warm weather makes us consider a second station. 

Below are the course map and elevation profile taken from my Garmin (the elevation may not be exact; but the relative differences are worth noting):

 

 

Look for announcements on Facebook and "Like" the school's Facebook Page to stay up to date. You can also search hashtag, #bps5k2013 on Twitter for updates as well (use this hashtag if you want to tweet about the event on race day). In the coming weeks, I will be leading "training runs" for those already registered (or anyone else for that matter), so you can get acclimated to the course and, well...just to have some fun.

Overall, this is a beautiful course with great community atmosphere. We've had phenomenal local business support in the past and are now receiving support from businesses in surrounding areas in RI and MA...and California (Earthsake, Inc. in Berkeley, CA)!! For a full-list of sponsors, please visit Brown Play School's website. We are very grateful to our sponsors and several donors for what is turning out to be a great Spring time community event! I hope to see you there!

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at [email protected]

 

Thanks for reading,

Batla

 

 

Francis Farm 5k Preview

The Francis Farm 5k Road Race is a pleasant, relatively flat course in Rehoboth, MA. The race is being organized by Gary Menissian of Ocean State Multisport and is focused on raising organ donor awareness. You can sign up for the race online or by printing and filling out a paper form - also available online at the event's website. You can also sign up on race day.

This past weekend I decided to head over there and run the course. I had my gadget of choice with me and thought I'd share the map and elevation profile with those interested.

Before I get into the route, I have a few general comments. There appears to be ample parking for the race - and from what I hear, this will be a very successful inaugural event, so the parking will be needed. It's probably still a good idea to get there early. I ran into the Farm owner just before I headed out for my run and was excited to know I was out there to run the course.

I'm confident this will be a very fun race and a great atmosphere for all.

On to the route:

In the map below, you can see the race starts at Francis Farms on Francis Farm Road. It heads north out of the neighborhood to County Street. County Street is a main road; but Gary has made it a point to focus on safety for this race and with the help of the cooperative Rehoboth police, there will be safe, coned off strips on County street for the runners - both out and back. Safety, of course is the number #1 concern during the race.

By the way, for those who may be reading this who residents in the area, I took special notice that every single car gave me a wide birth when passing - I waved back at them as acknowledgment. Thank you.

County Street is a straight shot, no hidden curves or driveways. The road was in good condition for those concerned about their ankles and knees. Once you hit Route 118, you turn around and head back. There is one water station - at the turn around.

 

This particular route measured 2.86 miles on my Garmin; but I was unsure of the exact start and finish lines. I may head back out there next weekend with Gary to get the exact start and finish and will update this post with any changes.

When you turn back into the Francis Farm neighborhood off of County Street, you'll see the farm; but instead of heading straight back, , you'll turn right on Taylor Drive and head downhill until it the road ends and turn right again to enter a cul-de-sac, where naturally you'll want to take the inside track before heading back to the farm with a slight grade to the finish line. 

For those interested in the elvation profile, I've included it below:

 The large blue spike is where I turned around on County Street just before Route 118. You can see the the symmetry for about 2.5 miles. It's mostly downhill for the first 1.25 miles, then uphill by the time your warmed up. Don't worry, it may look dramatic on this chart; but while running it, I didn't perceive the grade much and if you look at the numbers - its gradual anyway.

I am excited about this race. I hope to bring my wife and children and make it a fun day outside. Whether you are a seasoned runner and looking for a tune up, warm up, PR...whatever or a newbie, novice, or weekend warrior - it's going to be fun time with good people - old(er) and young.

Come out and enjoy the first weekend in Spring for some exercise and fun.

Thanks for reading.

Smithfield Duathlon Preview

The Wish It, Dream It, Du It Duathlon - apparently, the first Duatlon in Rhode Island - will take place in Smithfield, RI on Sunday, 2 October 2011.

Today, I took a drive out there to ride and run the course with the Race Director, Gary Menissian. Here's my take.

Run

As you might know, the Duathlon is a race in which you compete in two disciplines; but there are three legs: run / bike / run (again). The run legs are identical and are just about two miles each. The run starts out going up hill - in fact, the first mile is mostly uphill. The next eighth of a mile, you'll flirt with ups and downs, before you plummet to transition for the last two-tenths of a mile. See the elevation profile below:

Here's the map:

It's a little unique in that you'll go into two cul-de-sacs; but that didn't bother me. The roads are in good condition and just about a 1.25 miles in the roads have been repaved with asphalt - which felt really nice on my joints.

Oh, and you'll be doing this twice!

When I look at the map, the route reminds me of a heart shape. :)

Bike

The bike is awesome. It's about 14 miles through beautiful "country" roads in Smithfield where palatial McMansions and old farm houses are good neighbors. There were few cars on the road even though it was was commute time. I expect there will be even fewer on a Sunday morning. In general, the roads are in good condition and some sections are freshly paved. Log Road - which leads you back towards transition - is a nice mostly winding downhill section of the course. It was exhilarating; but I was disappointed in some areas as I did not feel safe enough to max out on speed. There were some bumps for sure; but it was mostly the turns that caused the disappointment - I actually had to get down in the drops and feather the brakes. I really wanted to bomb it and even thought of my days on a mountain bike. Be careful here.

Below is the elevation profile for the bike. You can see there is a decent descent from about mile 9.5 to 11 - approximately 3%. But it has some tight curves.

 

 You might be wondering...what is the graph doing just after mile 12. Well, umm..that would be what most people call a hill. When I first did this ride, I thought, "sweet downhill all the way back." Nope, there is a lung buster just after mile 12...but its short. It's about .85 miles at roughly 5.5% incline grade. You'll have plenty of time to recover for the second go-around on the run though.

Here's the map:

 

All in all, the run and the bike are challenging courses; but they are reasonable and I think this will be a fun race.

A note about transition. A local long-time resident has offered part of his property (a big part of it) to be used as transition. It is very gracious of him. It is very spacious and will serve as an ideal transition area.

Thanks for reading.

-Batla

TDD Recon

Well, I'm back after a couple of summer months off and I thought I would kick things off again with a little report on the TDD Triathlon course (bike/run only).

For those who have done the TDD triathlon, this may not be very useful information to you; but I feel its nice to have another's perspective.

On 3 September, I biked and ran the TDD course with a few fellow Tri-NE members. When we arrived around 7:15am, the park was closed due to Hurricane Irene. After figuring out where to park, we got ready for our ride. The park did open after our first bike loop, so we were able to start our run and second bike loop from transition.

It was a cool morning - cool enough to require some light jackets - keep this in mind for the 17th.

The Bike

The bike route is just under 11 miles and its pleasantly hilly for the most part - meaning, you are rewarded very nicely for some of the minor climbs. If you are intimate with the Scituate TT loop, these will be nothing. There are a couple of sandy intersections; but nothing treacherous. You cross one street, and take four left turns - lefts into and out of the park account for two, and one is in a quiet neighborhood. I'm sure there will be support at each spot.

It's a little bit of a climb to get out of the park; but its not bad. Plus you'll be warmed up from the swim. It's exactly a mile to the park entrance. Once out of the park, you'll turn left and encounter a hill that will require most to drop to the small chain ring (compact set) - you don't want to blow it so early anyway.

There's a stretch between miles 4 and 6 that I would describe as Rhode Island road conditions; although you're in Massachusetts - its jaw shattering. It smoothes out for a bit around mile 6; but not for long.

After mile 8, there's a nasty hill on Walnut (after you turn left off of Chestnut). For elite riders, this is probably a speed bump; but for most, this one of those hills that will cause your heart rate and speed to unceremoniously depart in opposite directions - and you can guess which one goes up and which one goes down. But, if there's a perfect time for it, its here just after mile 8 - as the rest of the ride is flat/downhill. The key here is to f*!^%# fagetaboutit! When you get to the top, pick it up, because its a nice downhill recovery to trasition for about a mile and half.

Once turning back into the park, its a nice downhill where you'll get a chance to recover your legs for the run, cuz you're gonna need it.

The Run

If you know me, you know I hate the run. So, you've got to take my assessment with a grain of salt - which, incidentally is easily discovered in abundance on my person after every run. By know, you have surmised that transition is the lowest elevation of the race, so the run is a climb out of the park just like the bike. It starts on a dirt trail, which is not only strewn with rocks; but on this day was also littered with debris from Irene's wake (I'm hoping the latter will be cleared or decayed by race day). Its a climb the entire mile out of the park and I couldn't reduce my heart rate if I stopped, sat and beared down for 90 seconds. Once out of the park, you take the same left as the bike and climb the same hill on Wallum Lake Road that you did on your bike. Once to at the top, you get to turn around and run down hill to the finish (including the dirt trail). Just don't turn your ankle before the finish line!

The Venue

The lake and the park are beautiful. There are lots of woods. It's the type of setting that could be chilly on a cool cloudy day and refreshing on a hot sunny day. So if you are bringing family (partners, kids) who won't be working up a sweat, have them prepared for either condition. I don't recall seeing shelter in case of rain; but I may have missed it. Have them bring their bathing suits and towels as the lake is clean and calm - perfect for kids if its warm enough. Oh yeah, bring bug spray just in case. I hear there's going to be kids entertainment during the race and of course a Tri-NE BBQ afterward. Oh, in case you are wondering, it took me about 45 minutes early on a Saturday to get up there from East Providence.

Hope this was helpful to those who haven't done the course yet. See you out there!

Thanks for reading,

Batla

Prediabetes Type 2 - A Blessing in Disguise

In the winter of 2008, I learned that I had type 2 prediabetes. At first, I was frightened. I was in my doctor's office alone, Kathy and Alex were at home (Kyle would be born less than a year later).  I honestly did not know what it meant. Did I have diabetes or not? Was there something I could do about it? Am I going to be on insulin and be forced to a strict diet for the rest of my life?  My doctor explained the situation - details which you can find on the web. What I can say is that prediabetes type 2 is controllable by weight, diet and exercise. Whew! What a relief I thought. Explaining it to Kathy was another issue; but I almost felt like...you know... this is exactly what I need to get off my lazy arse and get back into shape.

My doctor prescribed a couple of visits to a diabetic nutritionist. These visits proved fruitful as I learned about carbs, protein, calories and how to read nutrition labels and things like 100% whole wheat as opposed to containing whole wheat. I was relieved to learn that I would not have to cut meat and alchohol out of my diet! However, there was a piece of the bigger picture missing: exercise. Exercise was a key facet missing from the prediabetes conversation.

Following the nutritionist's direction, I immediately and drastically reduced my carb intake, I lost a bunch of weight and my numbers came back into range within several months. But I was not exercising - and the new "diet" was unsustainable. Meaning, at some point, it was all going to go to hell. As it turns out, I slowly gained the weight back and my numbers appeared in the red once again in January 2010.

I was disappointed; but in no means discouraged. I knew what I had to do and I knew I had it under control for a while. What was missing was a change in lifestyle that not only included healthy eating; but exercise - and other habits that keep you active and less sedentary. Healthy sustainable exercise does not mean you have to keep up the intensity you used to have when you were younger or perform the same activities even.

So, that January, I decided to do a triathlon. I had wanted to do one for over ten years and decided to complete one before turning 40. I did three official tri's last summer and many "brick" workouts - that consist of combining any of swim, biking or running activity in one workout. This year, I will do maybe one official tri; but I love the workouts. In fact, I plan my days and weeks around exercising - it's just the way it is. And its contagious. Kathy, who is in great shape from chasing our children around is now running again and kids are aware of this thing called exercise: running, biking and swimming and more  - and I'm glad its not just their Papa they see exercising.

As for my diet. I think I ate more carbs last year than the previous 2-3 years combined! My issues around eating that once existed are not the focal point anymore. I'm eating a sustainable diet and with a lifestyle change, the choices in diet are easier to make because its not about denying yourself - its more logical as your choices are framed around your general health and active lifestyle. I became more aware of how the food I eat impacts my performance, ability to exercise and mood. 

I am not prediabetic anymore - and I'm on a path where I can maintain this status. I plan to lose more weight; but really, its about the healthy lifestyle that I now live - which also makes me a happier person.

Thanks for reading.

 

Batla